Control device and actuating means therefor



Aug. 30, 1938. s. VERNET 2,128,274

CONTROL DEVICE AND ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed D60. 19, 1935 PERI-\TURE .INVENTOR M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL DEVICE ANDIQFBTUATING MEANS 150mm. (cl. zs'r-a) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in control devices and more particularly to such a, device having temperature responsiv'e means for-actuating the same.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel control device.

Another object is to provide a temperature responsive element which can be handled with facility and which is durable.

Another object is' to provide a thermostat which is sensitive to temperature change. 7

Another object is to provide means by whic temperature responsive crystalline materials can be successfully utilized in thermostatic devices.

The invention consists in my novel control device to be more fully hereinafter described and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

"In the accompanying drawing, to be taken as a 20 part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawing- Figure 1 is a view in vertical central section of a control device embodying my invention and taken on the line l| of Fig. 2;

preferably substantially cylindrical with an open-- 40 ended flow passageway or duct 3 therethrough. The member 2 which may be of sheet brass and drawn or otherwise formed has at its inlet end. which for descriptive purposes may be considered the lower end, a transversely extending supporting member or spider 4 having an annular portion 5 eccentric of the longitudinal axis of member 2 and joined to the lower edge of the cylindrical wall of member 2 by spaced arms 6, see Fig. 3. The portion 5 and arms 6 are preferably provided 50 with upturned reenforcing edge flanges or ribs I. Positioned in the aperture 8 through portion 5, there is a thermostatic actuating means 9 including a cup-shaped container or casing l preferably substantially cylindrical and having adjacent 68 its upper end a laterally extending transverse cir- Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section taken on the cumferential'portion ll defining an upward fac; ing shoulder or seat. The outer marginal edge of portion II has an upstanding peripheral continuous flange l2. Seated on shoulder II is a laminated disc diaphragm ii of flexible impervious material such as rubber covered or rubberized fabric which forms a movable wall of and closes and seals the chamber H within the casing l0. overlying the diaphragm, there is a cage or guide member I! preferably cylindrical and which extends upward through the aperture 8. The lowerend portion of member l has a laterally extending peripheral flange which flares outward and downward, as at l6, to a diameter substantially 'equal to the internal diameter of the casing I6.

The flange terminates beyond portion l6 in an annular flat rim I! lying in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of member l5 and seating upon the periphery of the diaphragm. The rim l'l serves as-a clamping plate for engagement by the upper edge portion 18 of the casing wall which is turned or bent inward over and upon the rim II to tightly clamp the marginal edge of the diaphragm in sealing engagement with and to the shoulder H. The casing portion l8 abuts the inlet or underside face of the spider annulus Sand is .held tightly in position thereagainst by a retainer member l9 including a ring or seat portion 20 through the central aperture of which the body portion of casing l0 passes and which bears against the underface of shoulder II. The portion 20 also includes an upstanding marginal flange which positions the casing and closely receives the casing flange l2. From the upper edge of the flange on ring 20 project a plurality of arms 2| preferably equal in number to the spider arms 6 of which there may be three and spaced to aiine therewith. Each of the arms 2| has a lateral outward extending seat portion 22 which terminates in an upstanding locking member or car 23. The arms 6 are apertured, as at 24,110 receive the ears 23 which pass therethroughand which. have their .end portions inturned and bent tightly against the top faces of arms 6 so that the actuating means 9 is rigidly secured to the conduit member 2.

The cage member l5 receives and guides a freely sliding reciprocable piston and follow member 25 which seats upon the diaphragm 13 for movement thereby and therewith. The member 25 has a central longitudinally upward extending post or rod 26 having an axial or longitudinal bore or recess 21 which is internally screwthreaded to receive adjustably a connecting rod or thrust member 26. Surrounding the rods 26,

32, for passage of rod 14 which --is bent or turned at right angles to provide a ber.

compression and .which at its lower end seatson the piston member II, being positioned in an annulargrooveorrecessll inthetopfaceof member lli'lheendwall "is ured. a sat its upper end or disc type. The shaft is fixed against endwise movement as by burnishing over the shaft ends,

as at 39, which project through the conduit member walls. The valve bearing is provided by oppositely directed, upward and downward, concave, alined channels 31, 38 respectively extending across a diameter of the valve member. The.

channel. is intersected by an elongated transverse recess "having spaced side walls 40 projecting below the underface of member 35. These walls 40 have alined apertures 4| on an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of shaft 34 but oilset therefrom and in which the connecting arm 33 is Journaled for'operatively connecting the thermostat actuatingmeans 9 to the valve mem- The valve member has a by-Dm aperture or bleed hole 42 therethrough and is also provided with a cavity 43 which provides clearance in the wide open position of the valve member, the cavity receiving theupper end portion of the cage member l5 as will be apparent in Fig. 1.

The casing chamber l4 closed by diaphragm I3 is divided into two compartments by a wall or partition member '44 of inverted cup-shaped form preferably of sheet metal, such as brass, having a cylindrical side wall 45 conforming to and snugly fitting withinthe casing I 0, therim of wall 45 preferably seating on the casing bottom The cup-shaped partition member 44 serves as a container for the temperature responsive element 46,, see Fig. 4, which preferably contacts the casing bottom wall for heat exchange. The element 46 comprises an expansible contractible material or mass having a cellular structure and is preferably a substance which will take up certain media by absorption or adsorption or by chemical solution or by loose chemical union to several times its own weight. The element is preferably of laminated construction in cross section, being in the form of an elongated strip or sheet wound into a spiral coil. It is'also desirable in order to enhance the permeability of the coil to temperature change to provide a heat conducting and exchanging-element 4'! of metal, for example, and preferably metal foil, such as copper, of say three or four the laminated coil holding it in its coiled shape;

It is to be noted however that the member 44 is of sufficient volumetric capacity toprovide space which is not occupied by the expansible mate rial so that the material may expand readily upon change of state and not be excessivelyrestricted by the walls of the container member 44. The material 46 serves as the supporting body or carrier for a certain expansible conamam more fully described. The carrier material may be rubber. but I have found that more satisfactory results are obtained by using a synthetic cellular material such as that known on the market as vulcanized Duprene No. 59CS984 made by the Goodrich Rubber'company, although other suitable materials are either Duprene' No. 5968966 or No. 5908964. The expansible contractible medium is a crystalline fusible material and may be, for example, p-dibromoben-- zone or bromoform or p-dichlorobenzene or diphenyl.- These media have different temperatures of fusion which are substantially as followsr Bromoform fuses at about 48 F., p-dichlorobenzone at about 127 l"., diphenyl at about 158 -F., and p-dibromobenzene at about 193 F. Each of these media has a marked or high degree of expansion which occurs upon the change of state from solid to liquid, the media contracting to its original volume upon solidification. The combination of the carrier material and the crystalline material lowers the temperature of fusion of the combination so that, for example, diphenyl in lllgprene begins to fuse noticeably at about Although it is impossible by any known methods of which I am aware, such as by microscopic examination or bythe use of polarized 1ight,to determine in what 'manner' the. crystalline material is carried by the carrier matriaLI assume that the material and the crystals are partially or wholly in solution which is evidenced by the fact that the temperature of fusion of the crystalline material is lowered when in combination with or carried by the carrier material relative to the fusion temperature of the crystalline material alone or when separate. However, the solution or chemical union, as I will term it, or the absorption or adsorption of the crystalline material by the carrier material is accomplished by immersing the carrier material or body in a bath of the fused and therefore liquid crystalline material. A satisfactory solution is obtained with a bath temperature of about 300 F., for each of the aforementioned crystalline materials, though the bath temperature may range both above and below this degree, the limits of a dipenyl bath being from a low of 158 F., to a high of 500 F. The per cent by weight of the crystalline material taken up by the carrier material varies with the temperature of the bath and the length of time the carrier material or mass is immersed therein as well as with different carrier materials and with different crystalline materials. For example, the preferable chemical union or taking up of diphenyl by or with the No. 5908984 Duprene is about 290% by weight which takes place upon immersion of F. bath and which is emimently satisfactory for a control device of the character illustrated. The

contractible body and the carried or contained expansible contractible crystalline material, when Duprene and diphenyl for example, has the characterisitics indicated by the full line curve, Fig. 5,

the dotted line curve being for diphenyl alone.

These curves, it will be noted, are plottedwith temthat Duprene for a period of 7- minutes in a 300 7 product which results, namely the expansiblev perature as the abscissae and with expansive movementas the ordinates. It will thus be seen that 7 as disclosed, this feature is highly desirable as the tractible temperature responsive medium, to be major part of the expansion or movement occurs 75 after a predetermined temperature is reached and then upon a relatively small increase in temperature. The thermal responsive element disclosed has the further highly important advantage that the crystalline material is at all times and irrespective of state maintained andheld or confined in its allocated position by the enveloping elastic carrier material irrespective of rough handling or change in position of the element, the carrier material expanding and contracting. with and upon expansion and contraction respectively of the crystalline material. It maybe here noted that the amount of the crystalline material in solution or chemical union with the carrier material should not exceed an amount which can be retained by the carrier material within its elasticity upon the expansive change of state of the crystalline material. The carrier material also serves to materially reduce sublimation of the crystalline material by lowering its vapor pressureand likewise reduces the possibility of the crystalline material chemically attacking or physically interfering materials, I preferably use sodium silicate and in concentrated solution which can satisfactorily withstand a temperature of better than 55 F. be-

low freezing. Another advantage of sodium silicate is the greater aiiinityv of water therefor than for rubber or Duprene, as any water, if permitted access to the thermal element, woud cause swelling thereof creating a tight fit of the element 46 in the container and resulting in separation of the crystalline material from the carrier material upon expansive change of state. A still further advantage of sodium silicate is its lubricative quality which cases and assures free expansive and contractile movement of the carrier material. The space in the casing chamber l4 on both sides of partition 44 and not occupied by the thermal element and its housing or partition is therefore charged with a concentrated solution of sodium silicate, designated 48, as the force transferring medium, the charging being effected preferably at room temperature, i. e. about 60 to 70 F., and with suflicient spring pressure on the piston member 25 so that it will not rise more than 0.015 inch when released after the guide member l and the casing I 0 have been clamped together.

' The operation of my control device will in large measure be obvious from the foregoing description of the cooperative relation of the parts. However, the control device is particularly adapted for controlling the flow of cooling water in an internal combustion engine, with the conduit member 2 connected in the liquid circulating line between the engine and th'e radiator, the thermo-' static means 9 being on the engine side of the valve member 35. As long as the temperature of the cooling water is below the desired engine operating temperature, the valve member 35 will be closed as shown; any expansive force of the thermal element 46 exerted below the desired valve opening temperature may if desired be absorbed by the spring 3|). When the temperature of the water to which the casing I0 is subjected reaches say 150 F., the expansive force of the crystalline material acting to expand the elastic carrier material and transmitted by the carrier material and the overlying liquid 48 to diaphragm l3 will act to move piston member 25 upward against the force of spring 30 and open the valve member 35; Due to the combination of the Duprene and the crystalline material, the thermal element 46 supercools considerably and through a definite temperature range, in some instances as much as 20 F. which results in a lost-motion effect or effective temperature differential in the operation of the valve member so that the valve member begins to close at a lower temperature than the temperature of maximum valve opening. Such a lost-motion operation is obviously advantageous for warm weather engine operation and it is not deleterious in cold weather operation.

In addition to the particular cell or comprising the diaphragm closed casing element above described, I may employ a cell, Fig. 6, embodying two or more different types of crystalline material impregnated into or in chemical union in or with separate carrier elements so that a plurality of control stages or ranges may be had in the same unit or device. This may be accomplished by substituting for the single element 46 of Fig. 1, two or more elements in longitudinal axial alinement, but of say only half the height, or of course the height of casing l0 could be increased. One of these elements might, for; example, be Duprene impregnated with p-dichlorobenzene, as at '60, and the other might be Duprene impregnated with diphenyl, as at 6]. ,The operation of this form would then be an actuating expansion transmitted to .the' controlled means at about 110 F., comprising the first stage or range and then a subsequent stage or range of operative expansion at about 150 F.

Although I have described the thermal element 46 as comprising a carrier material and a crystalline material, I have found that Duprene alone is temperature responsive and expands and contracts in accordance with temperature increase and decrease. The actuating means 9 may therefore comprise certain carrier materials alone as the expansive medium for certain usages to actuate a control means.

Having thus described my invention, what -I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of in solution an expansible-contractible temperature responsive medium.

' 3. A new article of manufacture comprising a laminated expansible-contractible material and heat conducting material interposed between certain of the laminations.

4. A new article of manufacture comprising a laminated rubber-like expansible-contractible temperature responsive material and metallic heat conducting foil interposed between certain of the laminations.

5. A new article of manufacture comprising a coiled strip of a rubber-like substance having in solution a temperature responsive fusible crystalline material.

6. A new article of manufacture comprising a plurality of laminations of a rubber-like substance having in solution a temperature responwall and defining an expansion chamber, means 1 operable by movement of said wall, and an expansible-contractible material in said chamber and operable to move said wail, saidmaterial comprising a crystalline substance expansible on fusion and carried by a rubber-like substance.

8. A thermostat comprising a hollow casing having an open side, a movable wall member closing said side. a housing member iitting said casing and defining therewith a material receiving chamber, an expansible carrier material hav-' ing a fusible crystalline material and positioned in said chamber, and a force transmitting medium in said casing and operable to transmit the expansive force of said material to said wall member. p

9. A thermostat comprisng a hollow casing having an open side, a movable wall member closing said side, a cup-like housing member iltting within said casing and separating the easing into a fluid compartment and a material receiving chamber, a body of temperature responsive expansible-contractible rubber-like material in said chamber, and a force transmitting fluid medium in said compartment and said chamber and operable to transmit the expansive force of said material to said wall member.

10. A thermostat comprising a hollow casing having an open side, a movable wall member closing said side, a housing member fitting said casing and defining therewith a material receiving chamber, a coiled strip of a rubber-like substance in said housing member, a crystalline material expansible on fusion contained in said strip, and a force transmitting medium in said casing and operable to transmit the expansive force of said material to said wall member.

11. A thermostat comprising a casing having a movable wall and defining an expansion chams gber, means operable upon movement of said wall,

a rubber-like substance in said chamber, a fusible crystalline material carried by said substance and operable in one temperature range to move said wall. and a second rubber-like substance in 10 said chamber, a fusible crystalline material carried by said second-named substance and operable in another temperature range to move said wall.

12. In a thermostat, a casing having a movable 1' element cooperable with the casing wall to deiine an expansion chamber, means operable by movement of said element, an expansible-contractible body in said chamber and a crystalline substance variable in volume on fusion and carried in solugo ticn by said body so that said means will be moved by said element upon fusion of said substance.

13. A thermostatic element comprising a body of pliable elastic material and temperature responsive material, said responsive material being carried in solution by said elastic material.

14. A thermostatic element comprising a body of pliable elastic material, heat exchange material, and temperature responsive material, said so responsive material being carried in solution by said elastic material.

15. A thermostatic element comprising a body of metallic heat conducting material and expansible material, said expansible material including a pliable elastic material having in solution a temperature responsive crystalline material.

SERGIUS VERNET. 

